A Ripped Mask
by Kuro.Jazz
Summary: A story that takes place in the near future of the Soul Society. A random human girl is randomly taken and turned into a new Arrancar. Watch Or should I say read?  as she learns about her powers and leads a new group of Arrancars.


_**AN: New fanfic! Its Bleach this time. I hope you enjoy!**_

The alley walls rode up around me, creating dark shadows. It wasn't my usual route home, but I had heard it would cut the half-hour walk in half. Of course, that was from a stranger I had hardly known for ten minutes. My heartbeat had escalated unmentionably and I continued to hear sounds that may have been imagined.

I had turned to examine the scuffling behind me that I knew would lead to just another dark crevice when a cold hand covered my lips, silencing my scream. A harsh voice appeared close to my ear. "Say nothing and you won't be harmed." Knowing I wouldn't get out of this alive if I spoke, I shut my lips and his hand slowly moved from my face, a cloth replacing it. Black rimmed my vision, creeping closer to the center as my limbs went limp. _Had I died?_ No, I'm still processing thought. And there was no light.

•••

When I woke, I opened my eyes to more darkness. A glimmer entered my vision, and I turned my aching head. A single candle had been lit so I could see the multitude of bars blocking me from leaving the cell. A man was bent over a desk, mixing something in what looked oddly like a cauldron. He tilted his head to meet my eyes, his black hair closely cropped other than three lime green bangs that covered his vibrant red eyes.

"You're awake." his voice echoed around the chamber. He moved over to my cell, where he placed his hand on an unconceivable switch, opening the bars. I contemplated running away now, but my limbs would not respond. He bent down, crouching to fit under the low ceiling before pulling me into the light. He placed his hand over my face, pulling me straight from my body. A chain connected me, however, and he sneered.

"Quite a high reiatsu for a human." he muttered, pushing his palm father into my face. It entered cleanly, however, as if it went right through me, but it blocked the light.

Somehow when I opened my eyes I was standing upright, the man wearing an inverted white suit a few feet away. He seemed to be standing on air, his coat floating around his body. He met my eyes for a moment, and I suddenly felt something in my hand. I looked down to see a white-hilted sword, the blade as black as night. I turned it to examine the weapon, but a blinding light ripped my gaze upward.

Something that was a cross between a tiger and a man stood before me, blocking out whoever had brought me here. He had a long furred tail that was accented with spikes down its ridge. Pointed ears sprouted from his head, long fangs protruding from his lips. His hair was long and black and extended down to his lower back, floating beautifully out behind him. He wore a simple, ragged jacket that flowed past his waist, a simple hakama covered his legs. His face was stern, yellow eyes stood out against the black and white world.

"You have come." his voice was like velvet, but it also sounded like..._death_. It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyways, the sword becoming slack in my hand. "You brought an intruder." His tone alone kept me from talking. "You shall regret this." Without any warning, he ran at me, a two-headed staff in his hands. One end was trident-like, but it had a thicker blade and was more rounded. The other looked more like the head of an executioner's axe, and was placed at the opposite end, about seven feet away from the first.

Instinctively, I brought the sword up to block his direct blow, the white wood of the staff striking firm. He jumped back a pace, his spiked cat tail lashed behind him as he ran at me again, this time from above. I ducked and he soared amaturely over my head. When the tip of the staff struck the invisible floor, however, I fell to my knees from the visible ripples of thunder. He removed the staff, catapulting it over his head in a strike of lightning that landed between my shaking feet.

"W-What is your name?" I asked tentatively, as he stood up straight.

"Arashi." His voice was solemn and he disappeared in a flash of light, the staff illuminating as well, before disintegrating.

A strong hand grasped my shoulder. "Well done." My eyes were forced closed as I returned to the cell dazed. The chain that connected me with me broke into a million little bits.

Actually, I was no longer half-laying on the ground. I was now sitting cross-legged on the hard floor, the white hilt clasped in one of my hands. My other palm was clenching the black blade, a line of blood trailing down my wrist.

The black-haired man got up and turned around, allowing me to stand. I dared not go farther than just outside my cell, though, but I could see that rows of the cages ran the length of the hallway. I awkwardly held the sword at my side. "What do you want with me?"

"There was a man, sometime ago, that took Hollows and turned them into Soul Reapers-what you have just become. They far surpassed normal Soul Reapers and the strongest of Hollows; however, that man had flaws in his plan. I have discovered and corrected those flaws, and I am now creating the first perfect Ripped Mask." Though I was clearly confused, he did not elaborate. Instead, he produced a vial and dipped it in the bubbling solution. As he walked the black vial over to me, the acrid scent reached my nose, causing me to gag.

He used one of his cold, bony fingers to lift my chin forcibly. I sealed my lips shut without thinking, but as the fluid reached them, an intense heat had me racing to open them. Oddly, the liquid had no flavor and no longer produced heat as I swallowed the small amount.

By the time the thick, bubbling concoction had left the vial, I was shaking uncontrollably and nearly fell over. The man led me over to the cell, laying me down and closing the bars the moment my eyes shut.

First, I reappeared in the inverted world, Arashi standing with his staff. Another person stood opposite him, her face covered in an elaborate mask. She oddly reminded me of myself other than the fact that her skin was pure white, even in this world, her hair a stark black. Her eyes were also complete, unending darkness, though they glowed a faint red. She turned to look at me as she impaled Arashi on her own inverted staff. Surprisingly there was no blood, but the girl turned, removed her mask, and looked at me, a devilish smile on her face that sent shivers down my spine. Her laugh echoed around me, but the picture shattered as she hissed, "Hello there. I'm Hekire. And I'm living here from now on."

After that, I could only see black as needle-sharp knives caused me unbearable pain. Every once in a while, though, I saw a dragon-shaped mask that resembled the one Thunder wore illuminate the blackness and I cringed each time, thinking of the girl who wore that mask.

As I felt myself begin to rise, the mask again appeared before my eyes, shattering into tiny little bits. The eyes that hid beneath the mask burned into my mind, staying in my vision as I woke.

I was cold and sore and couldn't bring myself to sit up. I slowly realized a man-no, _the_ man- standing above me, holding out his hand with a smile.

"Welcome back...-" He began as I took his cold hand, clearly waiting for a name.

"Rai. My name is Rai."

_**AN: Rai is short for Raikou, or Lightning. Hekire is my shortened form of Thunder. It supposed to be Hekireki, but I only wanted three syllables. Arashi is Storm. Yes, there is a theme here.**_

_**Anyways, I've been watching a bunching of Bleach and decided to write a fanfic. I did this in Reading today, cause my teacher lets us do whatever in that class. **_

_**I'm surprised at how much I wrote for one period. Maybe you'll get more than my goal of two chapters(of any fic) each week.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed. I know I had fun and am already planning the next chapter. CM will be out by Monday, TT hopefully then, too, unless its bumped to Tuesday.**_


End file.
